I Just Read About That…

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 6, 2025] Kool Keith / MC Homeless / DJ Halo

Kool Keith is a weirdo rapper who I liked back in the old days.

He was supposed to play Johnny Brenda’s during the pandemic.  But those shows got cancelled.

I wrote this back then

Kool Keith is a wacko alternative rapper.  I really liked him a lot back in the 1990s. He was part of the Ultramagnetic MC’s and Dr. Octagon. he also had the alias Black Elvis.

I had more or less forgotten about him and didn’t realize that he was still making music, but he has been consistently releasing music since the 1990s.

A lot of his music is aggressively, explicitly, sometimes disturbingly sexual (Dr. Octagonecologyst, anyone?) which was once amusing but feels really wrong now.

I didn’t really know about this show until it was cancelled and I’m not sure that I’d actually want to go (I had a few other shows I was more interested in that night).  I’ve also heard mixed things about Keith live, but I feel like it would be a fun experience.  The postponed date is a year away–we’ll see.

When he performed again in 2023 I didn’t go for various reasons.  And then this show was announced at Kung Fu Necktie.  Once again, I was intrigued.  And yet I’ve learned that underground hip hop shows are pretty boring if yo udon’t know the music really well.  And I don’t.  So.

MC Homeless grew up attending punk and hardcore shows in Youngstown, Ohio. After listening to rap all his childhood, he decided to pick up the microphone in 11th grade.  He has multiple projects which combine his love for industrial, hip hop, and punk rock.  Curious, but only mildly.

DJ Halo is a turntablist (whose websit is Halodoesntsuck).  I watched a few minutes of this set online (that’s cool) and it was a lot of fun.  Since I’m not a dancer I don’t really know if I’d enjoy an hour long DJ set–although I did enjoy his scratching.  But here’s what he played:

Boyz In The Hood (DJCiRCLE K ReDrum) – Dynamite Hack
Ice Cream (MarkCutz Acap Intro) – BLACKPINK & Selena Gomez
Whatcha Say (STEEL Remix) – Jason Derulo
That’s What I Want – Lil Nas X
Japan (DJ Archi Edit) – Famous Dex
Blinding Episode (20 Dolla Julio Remix) – The Weeknd
Swagger Like Us (ft Kanye West, Lil Wayne) – Jay-Z and T.I.
P.I.M.P (DJ A-L Blend X LA.D.DA Intro) – 50 Cent
I Weigh With Kilos (Maker Edit) – Jimmy Van & Richard Hieronymus
Pé Na Éstrada (Hit The Road Jack) – Mo’ Horizons
Dirty Harry (Chinese New Year Remix) – Gorillaz
Money Folder (Four Tet Remix) – Madvillain
Watch Me Dance The – Architect
Bangathon (feat Marc Stretch) – Prozack Turner
Just To Get A Rep (TREW v Grabowsky Edit) – Gang Starr
Ring Ring Ring (Cutty Cutso Edit) – De La Soul
DJ ’til Infinity – Souls of Mischief x Indeep
Tell Me When To Go (DJcity Throwback) – E-40 ft. Keak The Sneak
The Motto (Mendez Moombahton Bootleg) – Drake
Too Fast (ft Anderson. Paak & Latto) – Jay Rock
Who’s That Girl (Nick Mathon & Naffz Remix) – Eve
Gimme (Beset’s Moombahsoul Re-Work) – Jill Scott
What Have You Done For Me Lately (Double A Blend) – Janet Jackson
S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Closer (Muzik Junkies Break Intro) – Saweetie ft H.E.R.
Smells Like Booty – Destiny’s Child x Nirvana